Man Accused of Beating Dog With Sledgehammer

SAVAGE (AP) — A Twin Cities man is charged with animal cruelty after allegedly beating his dog with a sledgehammer.

Seventy-one-year-old Rudolph Poppe was arrested last week in Savage. When officers arrived they found neighbors screaming and crying, and Poppe standing near his golden retriever, which was lying on the ground.

The dog had a white plastic bag tied to its head. Poppe's shirt was spattered with blood.

The dog was taken to a veterinary clinic with a crushed skull, but was later euthanized.

Poppe told investigators that his dog was old, could barely walk and had defecated on the floor.